Stabilizer Basics
Stabilizers are used in machine embroidery to provide stability to the material having the design sewed on it, and occasionally to keep the embroidery thread from being hidden by the material’s nap.
There are two types of stabilizers: temporary and permanent. The difference being on rather the stabilizer material is removed from the design after sewing it out.
Temporary stabilizers use some technique to remove the material after the design is finished, such as heat-away and wash-away.
Permanent stabilizers leave the material as a backing for the design; cut-away, tear-away, and sticky are examples of this type of stabilizer.
Each of these typeshas its pros and cons depending upon the specific fabric that the design will be sewn on.
As well as the different types of stabilizers, there are also various ways of attaching the stabilizer to the fabric other than just laying it on the top or bottom; adhesive, fusible or iron-on for example. Learning the best type of stabilizer to use for your specific projects will go a long way in giving your embroidery results that professional look.
Stabilizers usually come in two or three different weights, sizes, and colors.
Weight - The weight you use depends primarily upon the material that you will be using it with. If you are embroidering on very light material, then you would use a heavier stabilizer. With heavy material, such as vinyl or leather, I don’t use a stabilizer at all, because the fabric is stable enough already.
Size - Stabilizer is available in 8 and 12 inch rolls or in packs of separate multiple sheets. By choosing the size just big enough for your hoop, you can save money.
Color - Stabilizer can be found in white, black, and tan colors, and are usually picked to match the material’s color as close as possible so that the stabilizer doesn’t show through the fabric.
It’s a good idea to mark your various types of stabilizers, because it’s difficult to tell which type is which, by just looking at them.
As indicated earlier, stabilizers are named by the method used to remove them or apply them to the fabric. As their names imply, cut-away stabilizer must be cut away from the material after the design is finished, while tear-away can just be torn away. Regardless of which type you use, tear-away or cut-away, you will always leave some of the stabilizer on the back of the design. Tear-away is often used by home embroiders, because it is cheaper; while commercial embroiders seldom use it, because it has the tendency to pucker over time from washing, causing the design to pucker as well.
Some Stabilizer types
Cut-away stabilizers -- They're a good choice for embroidering on knit and loosely woven fabrics, because they prevent the designs from puckering with washing, as long as their showing through the fabric is not a problem. The stabilizer weight should be determined by the fabric weight; the heavier the fabric, the lighter weight the stabilizer required.
There are also some nylon mesh cut-away stabilizers that remain soft and pliable and aren’t rough against bodies wearing embroidered shirts and hats. They have the added benefit of not only being soft, but not showing through embroidered materials.
Tear-away stabilizers -- Tear-away is the least expensive of the stabilizers, and is probably most used by the home embroiderers. Tear-away stabilizers shouldn’t just be ripped off, because it’s possible to damage the design. By placing your fingers on the inside of the design, the part that will remain and pulling steadily the stabilizer can easily be removed. The heavier the stabilizer weight, the more care should be taken to gently tear the excess stabilizer away. It is often better to use several pieces of light tear-away stabilizer, than a heavy weight one. Of course, you are increasing the cost by doing that, and might as well use a cut-away instead. Some light weight tear-away stabilizers are used on top of the fabrics. These stabilizers look like plastic wrap, and keep the thread from sinking into the fabric’s nap. These are sometimes used on towels. I prefer the next type of stabilizer for a topping stabilizer.
Water soluble stabilizers– Water soluble stabilizers are designed to dissolve when they are washed or rubbed with a wet cloth and come in several types: plastic-like film and soluble paper, which can be hooped with the fabric. They are useful when you don’t want any stabilizer to remain on the design. They can be used on both the top and bottom of the fabric to provide support for the design. I often use them for top and bottom in Stand-Alone-Lace designs, or designs sewn on tulle where once water is applied, all that remains is the design. Some fabrics are not washable; the next types of stabilizers are better suited for these jobs.
Heat-away stabilizers–The heat-away stabilizer is used when the fabric is too delicate for a tear-away, too sheer for a cut-away, or isn't washable. When an iron is placed on a fabric or paper on top of the stabilizer, it either melts away or crumbles and can then be brushed away. You need to take care when using the iron, not to let it get too hot. Never use a steam iron directly on a heat-away stabilizer. Heat-away stabilizer generally comes in a woven version, and a plastic like film version. I’ve even used a hair dryer on low heat to remove this type of stabilizer.
Many manufacturers have their own trade names for their stabilizers, for example, melt-away and heat-away are the same type product, but from different manufacturers.
The whole purpose of a stabilizer is to keep the fabric from sagging or stretching, and thus causing the finished design to sew out poorly. A common problem in embroidering a design with an outline is that the outline doesn’t sew where it’s suppose to, leaving a small gap between the outline and the fill pattern. This is often due to the kind of stabilizer being used. As in everything else, not all stabilizers are created equal. Before you purchase a stabilizer, hold it up to the light to see if the fibers within the stabilizer appear to be defused, running in all directions, or if they all run in one direction. The defused type stabilizer provides better stability to a design.
Over or under stabilizing
The rule of thumb is to only use as much stabilizer as necessary; using too much creates lumpy looking results, while using too little creates uneven embroidery. Another thing to keep in mind is that the more stitches in a design, the heavier the stabilizer should be. You should try different stabilizers until you are familiar with which one works for you with a given fabric.
Attaching Stabilizers to the fabric
As indicated earlier, there are several ways that stabilizer can be joined to the fabric; the most popular is adhesive and iron-on. If you are hooping the stabilizer, but not the fabric, one of the adhesive types of stabilizers, or adhesive spray is used to hold the fabric until the underlay is sewn. If you are embroidering in a spot that makes it very difficult to get the stabilizer and fabric hooped correctly, such as on a Tee shirt, the iron-on method is quite helpful in holding them both in place while you are hooping them.
Location of the Stabilizer – top, bottom, or both
We’ve talked about the fact that some stabilizers are used on the bottom of material, some on top and some on both top and bottom.
FSL - If you are sewing a Free-Standing-Lace design, stabilizer is required on both sides, preferably a heat-away or wash-away type. When I do a FSL design, I generally use a tulle material as the foundation for the design. The holes in the tulle wouldn’t hold the design very well, but by using a temporary stabilizer on both sides, stability can be achieved.
High nap fabric – If you are embroidering on a fabric with a high nap, such as when monogramming a set of towels, the embroidery design will have a tendency to get lost in the nap. By placing a temporary stabilizer on top of the towel, the embroidery design will be held up on top of the fabric.
There are a wide variety of stabilizers on the market, with a variety of names that make it difficult for new embroiders to figure out what to use for their projects. Just remember, that the stabilizer is the foundation of your design; and just like in your house, a bad foundation will eventually bring you nothing but grief. My rule of thumb is to use tear-away when embroidering a design for the first time on scrap material, just to see how it sews out, but to use the best type of stabilizer for the fabric or project for the finished design.
Other types of materials that provide stability
These types of material actually don’t use the types of stabilizers already discussed here; foam and precut badges.
Foam – You can embroidery directly on foam pieces and depending upon the design’s density, the foam will give the design a puffy 3-D look. This foam can be purchased in various sizes and colors at any craft stores.
Badges – There are a variety of precut badges available on the market. They require no additional stabilizer and will hold the design tight.